Hometown Hero: J.R. Wilkins

Police officers spend their entire career with your safety as their main priority. One Bowling Green police officer has spent the last twenty years living up to his title and will now retire from the department. We honor him as this week’s Hometown Hero.

J.R.Wilkins has left footprints on many hearts through out his journey as a Bowling Green police officer. Wilkins was honored today, Friday, March 30, 2007, by friends, family and the Bowling Green Police Department in a special luncheon for his retirement and also for his dedicated service to the Bowling Green community over the years.

“The one thing about J.R. is that in all those years you have always had an even keel,” Mayor Elaine Walker told Wilkins, at the special luncheon earlier today.

J.R. Brown said Wilkins and the BGPD was a match from the start.

“You could tell from the very first day that we had made a very good selection and he has proven that over the years, over and over,” Brown said.

Jim Hyde said Wilkins is someone who he has found himself looking up to over the years.

“I was fortunate enough when I first got promoted to sergeant, to work with at that time, Captain J. R. Wilkins,” Hyde said.

While some admired him for his professional career, others looked up to him for more than that.

“J.R. was always one you could talk to and he was good about giving advice,” said Marieca Brown, with the Bowling Green Police Department.

“It’s just doing what you want to do and what you believe in doing,” Wilkins said.

Mayor Walker said she has always been able to count on Officer Wilkins for just about anything.

“I knew that if I asked you for something or asked you a question, if you didn’t know the answer you’d make it up or you would find an answer for me,” Mayor Walker said.

Wilkins said he has been more than honored to serve the Bowling Green community.

“The biggest reward is meeting the people in the community,” Wilkins said.

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